Ah, another day, another half-baked scheme at Lewes FC. The problem with ‘brainwaves’ and that classic word for fail at Lewes FC, ‘smart ideas,’ is that they tend to explode in your face.

At first glance, Lewes FC Holdings Ltd sounded promising—more democracy, volunteer subcommittees, and a system that actually listens to fans. Lovely. Exactly what the fanzine has  been calling for!

But, of course, in true Lewes FC fashion, they somehow managed to turn a good idea into a dog’s dinner. Because, brace yourself, it also involved breaking up pure fan ownership. Yes, really. Just like Mercury 13 before it, only this time with even more paperwork. Another year, another board reinventing the club, another failure, tripped up yet again by the club mantra, ‘we like to do things differently’.

Fail differently. Never learn. What is that in Latin for a club motto? “Defice aliter. Numquam disce.”

The board and the COO seemed desperate to get this done and dusted by January 2025, which is a bit like saying you’ll lose a stone by next Monday. A nice goal, but completely delusional. And sure enough, as the deadline loomed, a couple of rather important people turned up and said: “Hang on, you what?”

Enter the Football Supporters’ Association (FSA) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)—two organizations that, inconveniently, actually pay attention to things like rules and governance! Disrupting the, ha ha….. disruptors.

Now, at this point, you might be wondering: Did the club run this past these important people before launching into a full-scale restructuring plan? Well, this is Lewes FC, no. That would have made sense. Instead, they seemed to think they could sneak it in like a dodgy under-16 player in a cup final.

Naturally, the FSA wasn’t thrilled because their whole job is to support fan ownership, not stand around while a football club tries to invent a secondary board of unelected directors. But the FSA can only advise. The FCA, on the other hand, can actually put a stop to it.

Now, this took me two minutes to research on ChatGPT, where I have lifted this information:

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The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulates Community Benefit Societies (CBS) like Lewes FC, ensuring they operate within their legally defined structure and remain accountable to their members. As Lewes FC is attempting to set up a private secondary board of directors, the FCA can oppose or even prevent it on several grounds, depending on how it is structured and what powers this board would have.

Potential FCA Concerns and Rule Breaches:

Breach of Democratic Structure

• Community Benefit Societies (Lewes FC) operate under a one-member, one-vote principle.
• A private secondary board could undermine member control, violating the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014.

Lack of Transparency & Governance Issues

• Lewes FC must operate openly and transparently.
• A private board making decisions outside the official governance structure could breach FCA rules on accountability and good governance.

Misuse of Assets & Charitable Status Issues

• If Lewes FC has charitable status, assets must be used exclusively for the community purpose.
• A private board making financial or operational decisions without proper oversight could risk asset misallocation, leading to charity law breaches.

Regulatory Compliance with FCA Rules

• Any major governance change must be approved by members and potentially the FCA.
• If the private board has financial decision-making power, it might breach financial conduct regulations.

What Rules Would This Break?

• Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014 (CBS governance and accountability rules).
• FCA Handbook Principles for Community Benefit Societies (good governance, transparency, and accountability).
• Charities Act 2011 (if applicable—prevents unauthorized private benefit).
• Lewes FC’s Own Rules (which must be FCA-compliant and member-approved).

Would the FCA Stop It?

If the secondary board undermines democracy, financial integrity, or transparency, the FCA could:

Force governance corrections to restore compliance.

Reject rule changes needed to create the board.

Investigate governance breaches and issue warnings or sanctions.

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And Now We Have Board Elections… Sort Of

With all this chaos going on, you’d think the club would be up-front with potential board candidates about the state of play, right? Well… no. That would also make sense.

Instead, the club is asking people to commit three years of their life to a directorship at Lewes FC, without actually clarifying what kind of directorship they’re signing up for. Will they be running the club? Or will they simply be rubber stamping decisions made by an unelected secondary board? Because, at this rate, it looks like Lewes FC is about to get its very own House of Lords.

And guess what? The club hasn’t even bothered to properly advertise this massive, glaring issue to potential candidates. Because, naturally, the best way to attract competent, enthusiastic people is to spring a major governance crisis on them after they’ve been elected.

Where Are We Now?

So, after months of drama, the club is currently:

1. Presumably, scrambling to fix this mess.
2. Hoping nobody asks too many questions.
3. Desperately trying to come up with a Plan B that doesn’t involve the FCA breathing down their necks.

And what’s actually been achieved?

• The club still hasn’t co-opted new board members, who could have been sourced in a week
• The volunteer subcommittees—which could have been set up in a week—are still a distant fantasy.
• Board election candidates don’t even know what their actual role will be.

I’m sorry. I try to be objective, but this is beginning to look like gross incompetence. This “great plan” that was supposed to push the club into top gear has left us struggling to find first gear even.

Throw into the mix that, of the £1.5 million the club is hoping to raise, only £30-40,000 has been committed in real terms, and you start to see why—

It’s all gone quiet over there.